Blow out the Candles
by AidbiA
Summary: AU It's Inu Yasha's birthday and he's anything but a happy hanyou. With gift after gift from people he really can't stand, Inu's having a hard time making it through the long day before he can enjoy Kagome's special surprises.
1. Preparations

**Disclaimer:** As expected I wish I did, but I definitely don't own anything relating to the Inu Yasha fandom and anime. However, that's not to say that I won't toy with the characters for your and my own reading pleasure.

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Blow Out the Candles

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Chapter 1: Preparations

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Amidst the sea of silken fabric, satin lace, and designer garments, a young raven-haired woman shifted from one clothing rack to the next with a look of deep concentration etched across her delicate features. Catching her lower lip in her teeth, she cautiously stepped away from her current position in the casual sleepwear section to the more intimate attire items randomly decorating the back wall of the trendy boutique.

As she moved, her black, open-toed stiletto heels clinked on the smooth marble tiling of the floor while her matching sheer black chiffon summer dress swayed to and fro on her curved hips and shapely, slender legs. Under the warm glow of the ceiling lights, the young woman's ivory skin shone radiantly against the colourful collage of various clothing and undergarment materials strategically placed around the store. Her honey speckled chestnut eyes arbitrarily darting between the sparse number of people around her and the endless displays and racks of outfits – well at least it seemed that way to Kagome in her momentarily hesitant mood.

Considering that it was still rather early in the morning, Kagome was one of the few individuals present in the refined lingerie boutique aside from its scattered female employees. Letting out a frustrated sigh and quickly glancing at her Hello-Kitty watch, Kagome proceeded in searching the racks holding various styles of bras, camisoles, slips, teddies, and night gowns for an item that suited her particular needs for a very special occasion.

Kagome had been browsing through a series of neatly arranged bra and panty sets for what seemed to be fifteen minutes when she felt a person's presence standing behind her. Before she could look up from the pair of teal bra and thong she was examining, a timid voice interrupted her.

"Excuse me Miss, is their anything I can help you with today?"

After returning the undergarment set to its rightful hook, Kagome turned around to face the retail personnel and greeted the girl, who appeared slightly older than herself, with her typical warm smile.

"Hi there, any help I could get would be great actually. I'm rather short on time and would really appreciate the opinions of others right now." Kagome spoke as she eyed the metal nametag that identified the employee standing before her as Maya.

Not needing to resort to her miko abilities, Kagome immediately knew that Maya was a full blooded youkai from her appearance. Taking into account the youkai's wild pink cotton candy-coloured hair, black outlined eyes, and well manicured talons, Maya most likely belonged to a bird species, more specifically she looked to be a flamingo youkai.

Seeing Kagome's inviting smile and realizing that she was assisting one of Tokyo's most prominent and elite citizens, Maya enthusiastically replied.

"Well, is there anything in particular that you are looking for? A certain colour that you favour or even a specific size you're trying to find. Here at Blush, there's sure to be something just for you to suit all your personal needs."

It was midway through Maya's questioning that Kagome became slightly flustered and coincidently a rose pink blush spread over her cheeks. Quickly avoiding the sales clerk's eyes to focus on the fidgeting movements of her fingers, Kagome explained her situation while trying her best to control her darkening blush. She was almost a university graduate for goodness sake's and yet Kagome couldn't cool the heat the touched her cheeks at times like this.

"Ano...I'm actually trying to find a special item for...umm...well as a surprise for my fiancé's birthday tonight." At this point Kagome was fighting a loosing battle and her cheeks were now a dark red hue. Nonetheless, she continued to outline the necessity of the outfit she desire instead of running out the doors and never looking back as her sensibility repeatedly urged her to do.

"You see it's my fiancé's first youkai birthday with me since he proposed and I really want to make tonight a night he'll never forget. The only problem is that he's a hanyou, a rather _impatient_ inu-hanyou at that." Kagome made it an important point to emphasize the word impatient and her efforts did not go unnoticed by the sales clerk.

Smiling wider in understanding of Kagome's message and seeing her dilemma, Maya began to suggest various garment options to Kagome.

"Since your fiancé is rather impatient, I'm sure that laced-up bustiers, garterbets, and most definitely button or lace-up corsets are out of the question. Well, that is unless you don't mind them being torn to shreds in your fiancé's hast to show you his...affection." At Kagome's bashful nod Maya continued with her recommendations.

"To narrow your choices, do you have a specific colour in mind perhaps?"

"Red. What I'm looking for has to absolutely be red!" Kagome beamed as she answered the question without hesitation. Before Kagome could utter another word, Maya was clapping her hands excitedly and practically squealing with glee in the next instant.

"I think kami is smiling down on you today. We just received our latest summer collection last night and I'm positive I have the perfect 'surprise' for your fiancé that you are looking for!"

She then proceeded to drag an unsuspecting Kagome to the merchandise storage rooms to show her the season's selections and practically pushed the stunned girl into the back changing rooms to try on the assorted outfits.

Usually satisfied with wearing simple bras or camisoles with their matching tangas, low-rise underwear or thongs if her attire absolutely called for it, the whole ordeal of shopping for more delicate and alluring intimate apparel proved to be quite awkward and daunting to say the least for Kagome. The twenty-two year female never required the presence of such apparel to please her mate and soon to be husband, but tonight was completely different. Yes, today was Inu Yasha's twenty-fifth birthday and Kagome was determined to engrave the events that she had oh so carefully planned for the remainder of the day and more importantly later tonight into his mind for the rest of their lives.

Her mate and long time friend had done so much for her in all the years that they had known each other and Kagome felt this was the least she could do to surprise him. Inu Yasha had shown her countless joys she would have never thought possible in her present life time or the next, and for that she couldn't help but feel blessed for each waking moment she spent with him.

Even before they began to seriously date after her seventeenth birthday, he had constantly taken care of her in his brass, most often times crude, overly possessive, and yet gentle, unconditionally devoted, and covertly affectionate behaviour that was purely Inu Yasha. And for him, Kagome would do anything to bring that elusive smile to his face, set his ember eyes aglow to an intensity that rivaled the sun itself, and cause his pulse to thump just a little faster with the rising of his blood.

'Yes, for Inu Yasha I would do anything,' Kagome thought to herself assertively, 'I love him.'

There was also the fact that due to his aggressive nature, majority or if not all of their remotely sexual encounters were usually initiated and most often dominated by him. It was just instinctive for Inu Yasha to take the commanding role in their sexual relationship with his demon blood fuelling him on. Yet despite this fact, he never ever forced Kagome into anything that she wasn't fully willing and ready for.

Inu Yasha wasn't stupid – hot-headed yes, but definitely not stupid. He knew his limits and had no interest in being purified anytime soon by Kagome's petrifying miko powers or encountering her mean right hook and thundering voice, which could leave his sensitive ears ringing for days on end. In return, Kagome accepted Inu Yasha's domineering carnal desires unconditionally in the same manner she did for Inu Yasha's other less than amiable traits.

Truth be told, Kagome was immensely inflamed by Inu Yasha's brazen, straight for the kill, sword swinging (both metaphorically and literally speaking) tactics that he applied not only to their sex life, but to everything else he did. And for what reasons did she have to complain when he left her as nothing more than a quivering mass when each orgasm after body quaking orgasm coursed through her body in a manner that was far from merely pleasurable.

However, it was Inu Yasha's impeccable ability to utterly scatter her thoughts and set her body ablaze with lust and desire with the simplest of caresses that had Kagome wanting to reciprocate the same blissful sensations for him. It amazed Kagome to no end to see how Inu Yasha always managed to keep a firm grasp on the single thread that was his resolute control during their love-making. And it was this sense of control that Kagome desperately wanted to sever in order to freely embrace him in the pure and unadulterated ecstasy he had given to her time and time again.

'That's right; I'm doing this for his enjoyment as well as mine,' Kagome confidently declared.

Reflecting on their past history, Kagome recognized that their friendship and relationship would never be considered anything but smooth. On the contrary, weekly heated banters, fits, and loud arguments charged with an underlining sexual current were seen as the norm for the perfectly matched duo.

Heck, Kagome would even have to admit that she either provoked or most likely prolonged said disputes with her compulsive misinterpretation of his words, stubbornness, and fierce temper. Of course that's not to say that Inu Yasha helped these situations with his impulsive outbursts, jealous tendencies, and equally matched temper. Yet, despite their conflicts, Inu Yasha and Kagome's relationship survived and would continue to survive come what may in their upcoming marriage.

That thought in mind, Kagome fingered her simple diamond encrusted, platinum engagement ring and idly traced the mystical emblem that Inu Yasha had lovingly seared over her heart with his youki and blood when they had first consummated their love for each other. Although his mark was invisible to the average human eye and on occasion appeared as such to that of the more dim-witted and senseless youkai population, Kagome could easily feel it pulsate in sync with the gentle rhythm of her mate's heartbeat and see its faint outline shimmering under her skin's surface.

The mark, as her direct link to Inu Yasha and likewise his link to her, only emerged during the two extreme conditions either involving a direct challenge to the mating claim or during a state of heavy arousal. For Kagome, the former occurred far too often for her preference. Thankfully however, most male youkai had enough self-preservation instincts to avoid Inu Yasha's wrath when it concerned her. It was the human males that usually sent Inu Yasha in an uproar and as a result would spark an argument between the couple.

As for the second and more pleasurable condition in which the mating mark would appear, Kagome could in no way deny, especially when she was in Inu Yasha's presence or when she was simply thinking about him – much like she was doing at the moment.

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It was about an hour later when Kagome finally left the lingerie boutique with a neatly packaged shopping bag in her left hand, which to her utter delight contained the coveted treasure that she had obtained. Walking out into the brilliant sunshine of the Friday morning, Kagome languidly headed towards her silver convertible BMW Z4 Roadster that was parked just down the street from the store.

As one of the few materialistic items that Kagome truly cherished, her pride and joy was indeed a fine specimen of mechanic ingenuity. However, she loved her car not because of its expensive price tag or its state of the art style. No, she loved it because it plain and simply reminder her of the person who gave her the gift – Inu Yasha.

To say that she was beyond surprised was an understatement when Inu Yasha had blindfolded her and carted her off to a remote location for her nineteenth birthday. When the blindfold was finally removed, Kagome found herself in the driver's seat of the sports car with a key, carrying Inu Yasha's crest on one side and her name on the other side, in her hand. Kagome sat paralyzed in the car seat with her mouth gapping and eyes wide while Inu Yasha eagerly explained all the special features of her car that he had designed and had installed especially for her. Kagome was brought to tears when she realizes how much thought and time he had invested into her present.

Inu Yasha had literally thought of everything relating to her safety, comfort, and liking. The interior of the car was lined black leather with red pinstripes on the seats and headboards, the windows were tinted black to prevent annoying photographers from taking her photo, and an elaborate wood craving ornament adorned with glass prayer beads and canine fangs hung from her rear-view mirror. The central computer system, which was located in the dashboard above the CD player and linked to both her main office computer and palm pilot, was equipped with more features than she could imagine. It had a plasma screen, a GPS system that Inu Yasha cogently expressed was imperative considering her little to no sense of direction, wireless internet access, and voice message alerts that reminded her of crucial things on her agenda since Inu Yasha vocally detested her less than punctual flaw. There was even separate miko and emergency first aid kits he had prepared for her and placed under the passenger seat and in the trunk. Kagome had also discovered her bow and arrows she used for her daily lessons and purification expeditions with her miko sensei, Kaede, were present as well.

Gliding a finger over the surface of her car on her way to the driver side door, Kagome marveled at its structural beauty.

'Wow, they really got Inu Yasha's hair colour down to a science for the paint job,' Kagome thought as a random giggle escaped her lips remembering how Inu Yasha had forced the car designers to match the hue of his silver mane because she had admitted to him how much she loved his hair. He even went as far as to cut a piece of his hair off for the designers to have a sample to analyze.

'Poor souls, they spent months just trying to perfect the paint colour until Inu Yasha had finally approved.'

Once comfortably settled inside her car, Kagome did a mental count and review of all the items and things she still needed to do before dropping by Inu Yasha's office for a surprise lunch date.

"Hmm...let's see I still have to pick up some groceries to make tonight's dinner. I also have to make a quick stop by the repair shop to pick up Inu Yasha's main present from Toutousai-jiichan, which hopefully should have all its finishing touches done by now."

Looking at the digital clock on the plasma screen, Kagome estimated that she had about two hours left before seeing Inu Yasha if see wanted to bring him lunch at around twelve thirty. Considering that his office was located in Shiodome Shiosite, one of Tokyo's newer business districts consisting of spectacular skyscrapers mainly reserved by Japan's most influential industry leaders, she should have just enough time to get all her errands done.

'This is perfect! I'll have plenty of time pick up Inu Yasha's favourite meals after I get Inu Yasha's present from Toutousai-jiichan. That reminds me, better call the restaurant to place an order while it's still early. The chefs will definitely need a head's up to prepare everything in my order with all the food that Inu Yasha consumes in one sitting. Mou, I know he's a hanyou, but he just devours food like there's no tomorrow.'

Nodding her head in resolution, her car was started and Kagome headed off to Toutousai's auto manufacturing and mechanic repair shop located by the outskirts of Tokyo city. Driving on the highway with the roof down, a warm breeze tousled her raven locks and it was a feeling that Kagome welcomingly basked in. The wind combing through her hair as she drove her car, sending black tendrils of her tresses into an untamed whirlwind, was the closest thing that compared to the exhilarating thrill she experienced every time Inu Yasha gave her a ride on his back. The incredible speed, the rustling wind, and the raw power that surrounded her were all aspects that reminded her of Inu Yasha to further validate her love of her car.

'Yeah, there's not too many things that can beat a ride on Inu Yasha's back...well okay, I can think of _some_ things that are better.' Kagome blinked, momentarily shocked with her line of thinking. 'Wait, what am I thinking!'

'Mou, I'm really turning into a hentai! This is all Miroku-sama's fault! Note to self: spend less time with lecherous priest. He's becoming a bad influence. Although, I have to applaud him for his creativity since he was the one who inspired this whole birthday bonanza.' Those thoughts in mind, Kagome accelerated and happily continued to her destination.

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TBC...

AN: So that was the first chapter to the very first fanfiction I have ever written. I'm a newbie at this, so I hope everyone enjoyed it. Anyways, as you can all tell this story is not all that original – there are probably countless stories and one-shots with the same basic premise. However, the goal of this story is _creativity_ and not _originality_ on my part. This story is somewhat of a trial and error process for me to see how well I can incorporate my own ideas and perspectives into a common situation and whatnot. That's it until the next chapter and as always, R&R, onegai! Ja ne!


	2. More Work and Little Play

**Disclaimer:** As expected, I wish I did, but I definitely don't own anything relating to the Inu Yasha fandom and anime. However, that's not to say that I won't manipulate the characters for your and my own reading pleasure.

**Author's Note:** Another week goes by with another chapter completed. To those that are interested, this story does not solely involve Inu Yasha and Kagome. As the plot develops, other characters will make an appearance bestowing their own birthday gift for our dog-eared friend, so you'll just have to wait and see what ensues. THANK YOU to all the reviewers, I always enjoy reading what others think of my writing since it's my first fanfic and all. Now on to the really important stuff, to those who are underage for this rating or are simply uncomfortable with swearing and sexual content, shield your virgin eyes because the former and latter will occur in this chapter. You have been warned so take the rating seriously and please don't complain. The story goes like this

**Translation 101(Just in case):**

Koi/kiobito – love/beloved, terms of endearment

Pocky – an oriental treat of biscuit like bread sticks that you dunk in chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry icing dip. Definitely yummy!

Miso – tradition Japanese soup often served with breakfast.

Shimatta – damnit/shit

Baka – idiot/moron/jerk

Nani – what?

Sengoku Jidai – The Warring State Era

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Blow Out the Candles

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Chapter 2: More Work and Little Play

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"Grrr! I don't care what your excuses are for the delays! I want you to get your lazy ass off the comfy executive chair, which I so generously paid for, and get it into high gear now!" Inu Yasha practically bellowed into the phone's receiver to one of his chief internal accountants on the other end.

He fought the urge to crush the phone in his hand as a means to alleviate his pent-up frustrations. Instead, he chose to rub the bridge of his nose in a smoothing motion. Little good that did as Inu Yasha listened to his accountant's pitiful attempts to pacify is rising irk.

'Fuck, and to think today had started out as such a good day. Well, that all went to hell!' He thought sourly to himself.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the receiver, there was a clear tremble in the employee's voice as he spoke and the sound of fidgeting hands hastily rummaging through papers -- no doubt trying to find something that could be of useful in their conversation -- could be heard. Inu Yasha took note of the accountant's fear and he knew that had he been face to face with the idiot, he would smell that fact as well. It was just lucky for the poor fool that Inu Yasha was currently stuck in his office with a piled of other problems he needed to handle. Otherwise, he would have given the accountant a fierce tongue-lashing.

In no particular way did Inu Yasha find joy in other people's misery, quite the opposite, actually. It was just that he had absolutely no patience for bungling morons wasting his time, especially since he had little patience to begin with. Employee incompetence really didn't help matters when Tetsusaiga Incorporation was in the middle of a company acquisition, had a new product ready to be marketed, and was in the process of building a manufacturing plant in Yokohama, Japan's second largest city.

Focusing back to the conversation at hand, Inu Yasha let out an annoyed growl to halt the useless rambling of his employee. He needed, or more appropriately wanted to end the discussion abruptly.

"Look, just do what you have to do and get those reports I asked for a week ago done! I want it on my desk Monday morning. You got that 'cause I don't feel like repeating myself!" That said Inu Yasha hung up the phone with enough force to rattle the items on his desk before the person on the other end even had a chance to respond.

Leaning back in his plush leather chair, Inu Yasha stretched his arms above his head and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. He needed to soothe his raging youkai blood that insisted he tear the complete idiot of a worker to shreds for the disobedience shown. To make matters worse, Inu Yasha could already feel the telltale signs of a migraine coming on and he had no more youkai approved, extra strength Advil left.

It was only ten-thirty in the morning and already he was tired, irritated, and wanted nothing more than to go home to his mate. However, Kagome was likely in one of her university classes and he had a crap load of work to finish. Today was just not his day at the office.

As it was, all Inu Yasha could do was savour his current moment of silence before someone else came knocking on his door or phoning him with another problem.

Swivelling back and forth in his chair, he couldn't help but let his thoughts drift back to his morning spent with Kagome, especially how she had pleasantly awoken him.

_Refusing to be disturbed from his peaceful sleep, Inu Yasha burrowed his head further into his down pillow to block the pestering morning sun's rays from glaring directly into his eyes. Extending a free arm, Inu Yasha blindly searched for Kagome in an effort to reclaim the constant sense of comfort that only came with her enticing scent and bodily warmth. Instead, what he found in her place was an armful of bed sheets and her pillow. _

_Inu Yasha let out a disappointed sigh and returned his head into the recesses of his feathery pillow. From the light clattering of pots and pans sounding from the kitchen, which his enhanced hearing could pick out, he knew Kagome was likely starting breakfast. _

_This fact struck him as being rather odd, usually he was the first to be up this early in the morning and was usually the one the waking Kagome up. A quick glance at the alarm clock on the nightstand revealed that it was shortly after six-thirty a.m._

'_Come back to bed, Kagome,' he chatted in a silent plea in his mind, mentally willing her to grant is small demand. He had no such luck though. _

_Inu Yasha could have just as easily gotten up to join her in the kitchen, but for some reason or other, he was reluctant to get out of bed today. Nothing would've satisfied him more than spending the whole day with Kagome nestled snugly in the confines of his arms while a Jet Lee movie played on the widescreen plasma TV, the fireplace nicely blazing, and various snacks consisting of ramen, pocky, chips, non-spicy chicken wings, and a box of pizza spread out before them on the comforter. _

_Unfortunately, he couldn't have this, at least not in reality. His presently hectic work schedule had kept him away from his mate for the past week and when he was free, Kagome was at night class, training, or working. Settling for his only other option, Inu Yasha tried to go back to sleep and return to his most enjoyable dream involving him, Kagome, and a litre tub of honey. _

'_Holy fuck, Kagome! That's it...ahhhhhh!' Inu Yasha contentedly growled as the dream Kagome ran her tongue over his honey covered chest, or that's what he thought was happening in his drowsy condition. He was gleefully indulging in his previous dream, but somehow the current version seemed a whole lot better than before. _

_This realization occurred to him when he actually felt tiny kisses along his bare shoulder blades and a gentle hand caressing his right ear. Next, he heard Kagome's melodic voice calling to him as she clasped his toned bicep and ran her hand up and down the muscle, making his skin tingle with excitement. _

_No, this was definitely not a dream. Why? Well, for one thing no dream could compare to what he was feeling – especially when a hot breathe swept over the tiny white, silken hairs covering the rear of his ears and sent a shudder down his abdomen. Furthermore, Inu Yasha could indisputably smell the delicious aroma of steaming hot Ramen, rice, miso, butter toast, and omelettes mingling with Kagome's own tantalizing fragrance. _

'_Oh kami, is that her tongue I feel licking the tip of my ear? ... Shit, that is!'_

_Faster than the human sight could register, Inu Yasha rotated his position and pinned a very stunned Kagome beneath him. Before a single sound could be released from her plum lips, he captured said lips in a consuming kiss and eagerly swallowed her surprised 'eep.' _

_Never one to remain idle, Kagome just as ardently participated in the intense kiss once she recovered from the initial shock. Her reward was an appreciative growl that she felt rather than heard from the male above her. _

_Seconds passed and the world surrounding them dissipated as the couple zealously explored each other through scent, sound, taste, and touch. _

_Rather determined on kissing Kagome senseless, Inu Yasha's tongue intimately stroked hers, running it fervently between her lower lip and her bottom jaw before descending on her tongue. His right hand, seeking its own prize, inched under her cream tank top to massage her ample breasts, which thankfully were free of the blasted contraption otherwise known as a bra. Kagome, feeling Inu Yasha's thumb glaze over her pert nipple, arched into his touch and moan into the kiss while her own hands raked down the span of his brawny back. _

_One would think that after being in an intimate relationship with Kagome for nearly three years now, Inu Yasha would have mastered the art of removing a bra or at any rate gained the patience to take off the item without the use of his claws, but no such thing occurred. The old saying about teaching an old dog a new trick did not seem to apply to inu youkai – well, not one with Inu Yasha's lack of patience. _

_It was just very fortunate for Inu Yasha that Kagome had always been too preoccupied at the time to take notice, in any case until the morning after that is. Yet, what he lacked in subtly when it involved her undergarments and clothes, Inu Yasha well compensate with his aerobic finesse, stamina, and attentiveness in worshiping her body thereafter. _

_The sensations he was able to ignite within her were simply indescribable, for no human language had words to express her exhilarating state of being. Her conciseness and rationally was stripped away in unison with her material bindings and all that she was left with was raw and unadulterated primal instincts urging her to become whole with her mate. _

_Her present state was no different._

_Finally, after thoroughly exploring each other's mouths and lips – no crevices or niche left untouched – both lovers parted for the necessary intake of oxygen. _

"_Morning sleepyhead." Kagome softly panted while struggling to control her breathing and clear her mind of the rushing sensations that encapsulated her. _

"_Morning to yourself, wench." Inu Yasha likewise greeted, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke to take the sting out of is pet name for her. _

_Leaning up and flashing Kagome a warm and undeniably confident grin, showing how obviously pleased with the position he had her in, he gazed of into lively hazel nut eyes filled with such adoration and devotion for him alone. _

_As it was for Kagome, all she could see was an endless vision of gold that held her captivated. She dared not breathe or move in fear of shattering the moment, but before she knew it, a firm hand burrowed into her hair and she found her head tilted upwards towards the ceiling of their king size canopy bed. _

_Inu Yasha didn't waste a moment to shower her now exposed neck with open-mouthed kisses and swipes of his moist tongue, delighting in the flavour and texture of her silky skin. He could already hear and feel her heart rate quicken in reaction to his ministrations, yet he sensed Kagome struggling against what her body begged for. _

'_Well, can't have that happening now. I'll just have to fix that!' He smirked at the challenge he had no intentions of loosing. With renewed effort, he bit down on her pulse point with a little force before relieving the nip with his talented tongue. Oh, the things he could with that tongue! _

_Kagome was indeed having a difficult time maintaining her wits. In a last attempt to distract him from his objective, Kagome tried to speak._

"_Mmmm... Inu Yasha, we have t-to... stop. The food's getting cold," Kagome attempted to voice in between gasps._

_Inu Yasha ever so slightly paused in his ministrations when he heard Kagome mention food, but he did not fully stop what he was doing until his mind registered that she said the food was made to celebrate a special occasion. _

'_Special occasion? Shimatta, I didn't forget our anniversary or Valentine's Day again... did I? This is not good! Think fast Inu Yasha, before she has your ears on a platter!' Inu Yasha racked his brain for any event that would constitute as a special occasion, but came up short. _

'_It can't be our anniversary, that's the same day as Kagome's birthday and I NEVER forget that. It can't be Valentine's Day either 'cause it's the start of spring. So what the hell could it be?' After getting nowhere, Inu Yasha decided to meet his imminent doom like a real youkai, or a hanyou in his case. With some hesitation, he finally lifted himself onto his elbows to face Kagome's fury. _

_To his surprise, he was met with Kagome's radiating smile before she kissed him on the nose and threw her arms around his neck for a tight embrace._

"_Oh Happy Birthday, Inu Yasha!" Kagome cried joyfully._

_For a second there, Inu Yasha nearly fell over from his own stupidity. Tilting his head to the side in an inquisitive and adorable manner, he slowly replied, "It's my birthday? That's what the special occasion was? Keh! There's nothin' special about that." Truth be told, he had actually forgotten it was his own birthday since he didn't care much for the day and had few memories of it in the past that would be considered tolerable._

"_Of course it's special you baka! It's your first youkai birthday since we've been together and engaged!" Kagome huffed, wondering why he wasn't as excited as she was. Unless... "You don't like the breakfast I made you? Or is it you don't think all the time we spent together is special, huh!" A frown was already making its way across her features as Kagome scooted away from Inu Yasha on the bed._

"_Na-Nani!" Inu Yasha sputtered, nearing choking on his own tongue when he hastily answered, "Oi, you know that's not what I meant, Kagome. I love the breakfast you made for me and I LOVE you even more!" _

_To prove his point, Inu Yasha pulled a glowering Kagome into his awaiting lap and settled them against the headboard with the food tray placed in front of them. He then proceeded to feed her some of the seafood omelet she made until she relented and accepted his olive branch. _

_Their morning spat was long forgotten as they enjoyed breakfast in bed – Inu Yasha inhaling his extra large bowl of chicken flavoured ramen while Kagome ate the omelette and toast. He was nearly finished eating the rice and miso soup when Kagome shift in his lap to face him. _

"_I'm really glad you liked one of your birthday presents, Inu Yasha." Kagome smiled as she stroked his cheek with the back of her curled index finger._

"_Really? So this is only **one** of my presents?" Inu Yasha asked, quirking an eyebrow up as he pulled her closer to him._

"_Umm hmm..." Kagome giggled when Inu Yasha nuzzled her jaw._

"_So what are my OTHER presents then? You know I can't stand surprises, not when they concern you." Inu Yasha huskily whispered into her ear, licking its shell and sucking the rim. "I'm a very impatient hanyou...why don't you give me a hint, ne?" Just to further persuade her, he tightened his grip on her slim waist and ground his hips into her suggestively._

"_Ohhh... I guess a little HINT wouldn't hurt..." Kagome airily breathed and proceeded to fully straddle his hips. "Especially not when..."_

"_RING, RING, RING!" _

"RING, RING, RING!" The shrilling of his phone instantly brought Inu Yasha out of his pleasant reverie, causing him to nearly land faced first on the floor of his office. Thanks to his youkai reflects though, he properly righted himself before the tragedy struck.

"NANI!" Inu Yasha snarled into the intercom of his phone, "This better be god damn important or your job is in the line of fire!"

"Sorry to interrupt you, Takainuhiko-sama," Inu Yasha's secretary nonchalantly spoke on the other line, "I just called to remind you that you have a meeting with your brother this afternoon at one-thirty."

"Who the hell arranged this! I'm busy enough as it is! What the fuck could my asshole half-brother want now?" Inu Yasha roared at the poor youkai sitting outside his office.

At this point, he was frustrated beyond imaginable. He was already annoyed with the fact that Miroku had interrupted his potentially rousing, and not to mention possibly invigorating breakfast earlier this morning, but to be interrupted for a second time that day when he was fucking just daydreaming about it was infuriating to no end. Yes, some deity was out to get him today because no normal person would call at seven-thirty in the morning to ask what his favourite movie was. Yet a certain lecherous, meddlesome, and soon to be dead bouzu happened to be foolish enough to do just that. Inu Yasha was definitely going to throttle the monk turned Mecca real-estate agent when he saw him later in the afternoon.

Now to top it all off, he had a meeting with his brother too. Some birthday he was having so far.

"I believe it was Myouga-sama whom Sesshomaru-sama arranged the meeting through to discuss the Bokusenou account."

"Whatever! Just get Myouga on the line for me!"

"Of course, Takainuhiko-sama."

While waiting for Myouga, his personal advisor and head chairperson of Tetsusaiga Incorporation's Board of Directors, Inu Yasha anxiously rapped his claws on his desk. He fought the twitching of his left eyelid, a true sign of his agitation the longer he waited. Old family friend or not and his birthday or not, Inu Yasha was out to ripe someone's throat this morning and kami pray for the lost soul that came across his path.

Nothing in all of Japan, except for Kagome, would be able to placate him at this point. However, since he wasn't going to see her until five o'clock this evening, which was six dreadfully long hours away if by some miracle he left work on time, history would repeat itself and anything and everything within a 1000-mile radius of him would relive the bloodshed of the Sengoku Jidai.

Finally, after the fourth ring someone spoke up on the other end of the phone line.

"Inu Yasha-sama, it's so good to hear from you-"

"Cut the crap Myouga-jijii!" Inu Yasha immediately interjected, "You've got some fuckin' explaining to do before I squash you like the good-for-nothing, mangy flea that you are!"

"W-well, ah you see, Inu Yasha-sama..."

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TBC...

My apologies for any spelling or grammatical errors, but it's extremely late and I'm tire. As always R&R, onegai. Until the next chapter, ja ne...

Edit Note: I'm just doing some revisions before I can post the next chapter because otherwise there might be some inconsistencies between chapters. Please have just a little more patience with me, I'm almost done.


	3. Saving Grace

**Summary:** (AU, R, Romance/Comedy) It's Inu Yasha's birthday and he's anything but happy. With gift after gift from people he can't stand, will Inu be able to endure the interruptions preventing him from fully enjoying Kagome's specially arranged surprises?

**Disclaimer:** As expected I wish I did, but I definitely don't own anything relating to the Inu Yasha fandom and anime. However, that's not to say that I won't manipulate the characters for your and my own reading pleasure.

**Translator 101 (Just in Case):**

Jijii – a colloquial, rough way of saying 'jii-san', meaning old man, or  
grandfather  
Babaa – a colloquial, rough way of saying 'baa-san', meaning old woman, or grandmother  
Oyaji – informal or slang way of addressing one's father  
Otou-san – formal way of addressing one's father  
Okaa-san – formal way of addressing one's mother  
Urusee – shut up  
Nan Jai – what is it  
Bento – Japanese lunchboxes or food containers  
Iie – no  
Konnichiwa – hello  
Sou ja – right/thought so  
Chotto – just a second  
Yamete – stop it  
Ecchi – lewd/perverted  
Hentai – pervert  
Kimmochi - It feels good  
Onegai – please  
Ne – it's a verbal intonation often used when asking a question, but its meaning can vary depending on how it's used in a sentence

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Blow Out the Candles

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Chapter 3: Saving Grace

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One didn't need a sense of sight or even hearing to intuitively recognize that Inu Yasha was in an extremely foul mood today. It was just unfortunate for Myouga since he was directly in the path of the raging tidal wave that was about to come pummelling down upon his bald little head any second now.

Oh how he regrettably wished that his fortieth floor office window could actually open and provide him with an escape rout away from the enraged half demon. It would have been so easy to latch onto one of the many pigeons lounging about outside his window ledge and abscond somewhere safe and out of harm's way. And did he ever try, to no avail, in finding and squeezing himself through the window's crevices to reach the outside world – a place that ensured his momentary freedom and inevitable survival.

In hindsight, however, it probably wasn't his best decision to hang-up on Inu Yasha and it definitely wasn't wise of him to give into the sweet temptation of enjoying a warm-blooded, free meal from the plump desk clerk that served as his hiding spot either. Hanging-up on Inu Yasha had only served to rile the half-demon's already straining benevolence and leeching off his hideout's neck was what ultimately exposed his location to the deranged hanyou, who was set on his execution.

Yet, what more could a flea do but make like his youkai title and well, flee? So, that's exactly the course of action Myouga took in order to save his neck. Becoming scarce at the slightest sign of danger was his sure fire technique that had kept him alive and bodily intact for over numerous centuries during his past service to Inutaisho-sama, Inu Yasha's powerful youkai father, and during his current service to Inu Yasha-sama. At least that's what he had always believed until now.

Immediately following his brief conversation with Inu Yasha in which he hung up after his failure to gravel is way out of the situation, Myouga made a mad dash out of his lavish office and into the halls in search of a safe haven or potential host that could carry him out of the building before he was captured. And to his sheer delight, Myouga had found the ideal carrier who was just on her way to the building's cafeteria on the main floor for a quick snack. So, with a couple of quick hops here and long leap there, Myouga was securely hidden in the disaster that was the stout woman's bleach blond hair.

It was only seconds after Myouga had taken cover that he heard and felt the rampant present of his employer not a few feet away from his hiding spot. In fact, Inu Yasha nearly bulldozed over the naive woman secretly concealing Myouga upon his entry into the east office wing. Inu Yasha had come barrelling onto the fortieth floor snarling and yelling obscenities not meant to be heard and even beyond the knowledge of existence to many of the startled desk workers in his hunt for the cowardly flea.

Had it not been for the god sent factor that Myouga's current mode of transportation was heavily doused in a bottle of cheap imitation Chanel perfume, a pungent odour that Inu Yasha's acute nose could just barely remain in the same vicinity of, Myouga and the woman would have never been granted easy passage to the elevator less then ten steps away. The pair tried their best to discretely wait for the elevator to arrive while Inu Yasha sniffed out some of the other employees within the area, recklessly searched Myouga's vacant office, and issued a variety of painful sounding threats.

While the inu hanyou interrogated Myouga's terrified secretary for information on his whereabouts, Myouga was praying for the bronze cast elevator doors to quickly open. There was only one more floor for the elevator go before it came to a stop at its next destination, but seconds seemed to sluggishly dwindle for the anxious flea covertly camouflaged in the equally tense woman that was unknowingly obscuring him from their superior.

At the sound of the customary "ding," the elevator doors finally parted to reveal three other passengers standing within. Not wasting a moment to retrieve her cholesterol-saturated snack and wanting to avoid her boss' explosive temper, Myouga's human vehicle hastily stepped into the elevator with the other passengers, who wisely chose to remain in the elevator and decided to get off on another floor level upon seeing the incensed hanyou.

Obviously thinking himself safe and out of direct danger once he was inside the elevator, Myouga foolishly thanked the female smuggling him by feasting on her jugular vein. In his opinion, the blood vessel was beckoning to be savoured as it rapidly pulsated in the woman's anxious state.

The doors were just beginning to slide shut when said female gave a shrill scream and slapped her neck.

There was no more than three or four seconds at the very most before the elevator doors fully closed, but it was all the time needed for Inu Yasha to abandon his current victim, dash across the corridor to the elevator entrance, and snatched the spineless flea in his flatten position on the palm of the woman's hand.

Of course all the latter now lead to the current state of affairs unravelling in Inu Yasha office: Inu Yasha viciously glaring down at the trembling flea – who was at the present time leashed to a short length of string conveniently tied to the sleeve button of Inu Yasha's onyx suit blazer – as the aforementioned flea cowered into a protective position. His back was hunched and his legs were squatted while his stubby arms were trying to shield all his vital organs from the impact of the nuclear bomb just milliseconds away from being detonated by his young master.

A growing growl filled the rustically decorated office space until its undertones vibrated throughout Inu Yasha's granite and marble desk.

"How nice of you to stop by my office this morning, Myouga-jijii!" Inu Yasha gritted through his clenched teeth, "And to think all I had to do was track your pathetic ass down and tie you up to get you here!" The growling and miniature earthquake seemed to intensify with every passing word he spoke.

It came to a point where Myouga was forced to cling onto one of the still standing picture frames on Inu Yasha's desk in order to avoid falling off the desk or being crushed by one of the various tumbling objects scattered about. The picture and the frame itself were quite lovely, showcasing a portrait of Inu Yasha and Kagome sitting at the base of Goshinboku, a sacred tree that stood at the centre of Kagome's family shrine. However, Myouga paid little attention to these details at the moment.

"Onegai, Inu Yasha-sama, onegai... I can explain!!" Mygoua wailed between his attempts to beg for mercy and trying to free himself of his binding. 'What is that saying again? Oh yes, out of the pot and into the frying pan. But in my case it's out of one scorching pan and into another. Dear kami let me survive this!' Myouga silently prayed as he was forcefully yanked away from the glass picture frame that served to stabilize him.

On any other day Myouga would have preferred Inu Yasha's wrath to that of Sesshoumaru's, but he was greatly regretting his decision now and wished that he had never become involved in their family tradition of torturing each other on their respective birthdays.

"Keh! Quit hiding behind the picture frame and start talkin' jijii!!" Inu Yasha barked once he had the flea a good distance away from his favourite picture of him and Kagome. It had been a special gift from his mate and he didn't trust himself not he destroy it in the process of inflicting pain on his retainer.

'Ahhhh, these inu brothers will be the death of this poor and oh so loyal flea...'

"You must understand Inu Yasha-sama," the flea continued, "I was forced against my own will by your brother... He was going to kill me!!" Myouga whined as he miserably failed to loosen the knot tied around his midsection.

"Urusee! And what makes you think I wouldn't do the same, huh?" To emphasize his point, Inu Yasha cracked his knuckles and squashed the tiny flea between his index finger and thumb without a second thought.

"Gwhaa!!!" It was the only sound Myouga could make as he fluttered onto the desk surface and landed in a physically flattened heap.

Inu Yasha, who was about to pulverize Myouga a second time, suddenly paused in his assault and instead continued speaking in a surprisingly composed and even excited tone, "As amusing as it would be for me to slowly pull each and every single one of your four arms out or disembowel you on the spot, I have a much more efficient way of punishing you!"

At the sight of Inu Yasha's malicious grin and suddenly lax demeanour, Myouga knew an utterly horrendous manner of torment was brewing in that thick skull of the hanyou.

"Iie, Myouga-jijii, you don't have to look so scared cause I'm not going to lay another clawed finger on you," Inu Yasha evilly chuckled to himself, "I really don't think Shyuga-babaa would like that very much, ne Myouga? In fact, I think I should call her up right this moment and let her know where exactly her dearest 'fiancée' is. I bet she's been worried sick wondering where you've been hiding for the last couple of centuries, especially after you ran out on your own wedding."

"WAH?!!! IIE, IIE, Inu Yasha-sama! Onegai, you must not call her!" The now desperate flea grovelled at the mention of his insufferable mate-to- be's name.

Their engagement had been a horrible mistake caused by a night filled with one too many cups of heated sake and stolen sips of sweet blood on his part and devious manipulation on hers. When he woke the following morning and discovered about his engagement to the clingy female flea, he had immediately tried to extricate himself out of the arrangement. His fear of commitment and confinement significantly motivating his hasty retreat and disappearance from their wedding ceremony.

However, Shyuga was equally persistent of him as she was frightening, and hell knows no fury when she got angry. It had been nothing short of a miracle that he had remained incognito and out of her clutches for as long as he did. Thus, at the sound of Inu Yasha's most inhuman threat, Myouga crumpled into a blubbering mass.

"Oh how can you be so cruel, master Inu Yasha?! You CAN'T do this to me – your most faithful servant... You're not that heartless!! ONEGAI!" The aging flea bawled.

"Nan jai, Myouga-jijii? Don't tell me you're afraid of your own fiancée. I'm sure she misses you terribly after all your long years of separation. Who knows, if you're lucky she might even be gentle on you for everything you've done!" Inu Yasha chortled sinisterly. Maybe his day was about to improve.

Inu Yasha was certain in the fact that Shyuga would do a far better job of teaching Myouga his long overdue lesson concerning the consequences of constantly running away than he could ever do.

If Inu Yasha had ever learnt anything of real use from his retired tycoon Oyaji, it was this: women, regardless of their species or age, were naturally the more formidable sex to be wary of and had many unspeakable ways of always getting what they desired. It was a lesson he himself had learned the hard way many times in the past, specifically from his Okaa-san and Kagome. So, Inu Yasha knew that Shyuga was no different from any other female.

Staring at the openly weeping flea, who was vigorously squirming and trying to escape, Inu Yasha was positive a few hours with Shyuga would do the flea some good. If nothing else, perhaps Myouga's pain threshold would increase or he would by some miracle develop a backbone during his time spent with the other flea. Hell, Myouga could even revert back to his humanoid form if he'd just marry Shyuga. Of course even Inu Yasha realized that that would never happen because Myouga enjoyed being a flea far too much.

'Feh, if I'm gonna have to suffer on my birthday by going to a meeting with that prick Sesshoumaru then Myouga, you're coming along for the ride too!' The hanyou justified as he frowned menacingly down at Myouga. 'Nothings gonna save you now!'

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Less than two floors down on the elevator, however, Myouga's saving grace was on her way up to surprise Inu Yasha with lunch. Her meeting with Toutousai went better than expected and she was positive Inu Yasha was going to love this present.

Toutousai had done a splendid job of making Inu Yasha's gift flawless, which served to further prove his expertise in his craft despite his oscillating memory that occasionally caused him forget certain things during conversations. Despite the previous fcat, he was a very kind and good-hearted old youkai that Kagome had met during her teen years. Inu Yasha had actually introduced the two when he had accidentally destroyed her baby pink, banana seat bike that she often rode around on in the forest near her old home.

After Kagome had repeatedly refused his offer to buy her a new and improved bike to replace the one that he had ruined, Inu Yasha had taken her and the heap of scrap metal that was her bicycle to Toutousai's mechanic shop. It was there that she became acquainted with the elderly elemental youkai.

Kagome had been shell-shocked when she came face to face with the famed mechanic who could create or mend anything so long as it contained metallic elements. Having previously read newspaper articles and hearing stories about how Toutousai was extremely picky with what he worked on and who it was for, Kagome felt tremendously privileged to have him repair her cherished memento given to her by her Otou-san. To this day she was still amazed how he had precisely shaped every curve and bend in her bike until it looked identical to its previous state when she had first received it.

Seeing first hand how talented Toutousai was, Kagome knew that he was the ideal person to refurbish Inu Yasha's once beautiful treasure. And Kagome could already feel the anticipation amassing in her stomach. She had to mentally restrain herself from just finding her mate and dragging him outside of the office building to personally show him the present that awaited him. She really couldn't wait to see Inu Yasha's reaction.

'Well, one major gift down and one more to go.' Kagome thought to herself as she stepped out of the elevator and into the lavish foyer that lead to Inu Yasha's forty-third floor office. Up ahead, she could see the reptilian youkai, who was his secretary, working at her desk.

Kagome was about to interrupt the youkai when her cell phone suddenly interrupted her. The ring tone of the song Four Seasons by Namie Amuro played for a minute before Kagome was able to answer without dropping one of the many bento boxes or drinks she carried in her hands.

"Moushi moushi, Kagome speaking." The young miko politely spoke into her titanium Samsung phone.

"Konnichiwa, Kagome-sama. It's Miroku. Gomen for disturbing you before you see Inu Yasha, but I just have a few questions and a favour I would like to ask of you." His voice was crisp and clear on the other line.

"Oh, that's alright Miroku-sama. Go ahead and ask your questions, I'm listening." But as she listened to him, Kagome began to regret her decision.

"What do you mean I have to promise you that I'll actually use the birthday gifts that you bought for Inu Yasha?" Kagome hesitantly enquired. Somehow she did not like where this conversation was headed.

"What exactly did you buy?" She quietly hissed into the phone; she could only imagine the kinds of colourful items that her lecherous friend had bought and that caused an unwanted blush to spread over her cheeks.

"Ma, ma, Kagome-sama. I assure you of my admirable intentions. I just want your word that you will put to good use my gifts since I have already ordered them and can not get a refund or exchange on them. Now what do you say?" There was a pause on her part since she intelligibly decided to further investigate what Miroku had purchased for Inu Yasha's birthday.

Years of experience had taught her to be cautious when accepting gifts from Miroku. Thinking back, Kagome could easily remember the numerous strippers, inflatable toys, and other themed 'gifts' that Miroku had given to either Sango, Inu Yasha, or herself and she did not want a repeat of that.

Hearing her hesitation, Miroku spoke up again, "If it will ease your mind, Kagome-sama, I bought you and Inu Yasha anime collector items because I know how much you both love anime. You wound me deeply Kagome-sama. I'm buying these tokens of my affection for Inu Yasha and your own enjoyment, not that of mine." He exasperatedly signed into the phone, attempting to sound disappointed and hurt when in actual fact he knew Kagome would cave and agree any second. And oh how right he was .

'Great now I feel guilty! Mou, it better not be something degrading or I'll definitely let Inu Yasha hurt you, Miroku.' Kagome likely signed as her left arm became tire from balancing their catered lunch.

Fortunately for her though, she never was given the chance to reply as Sango's distinct voice was heard in the background and cut short Miroku's guilt trip before she relented.

"Miroku, what are you trying to trick Kagome-chan into agreeing with now?" Their voices were slightly muffled, but Kagome could still make out what was being said on the other end.

"I knew I should have gone shopping with you to buy Inu Yasha's birthday present. Knowing you, you probably got Inu Yasha and Kagome something inappropriate, didn't you Houshi-sama?!" Sango scolded her hentai husband as she demanded him to hand over the phone.

"Chotto, Sango-chan...Yamete my love!"

There were a few moments of phone static, some shuffling between the couple on the other end over possession of Miroku's cell phone, and a loud shriek before the sound of a ricocheting slap was heard by Kagome. Even she had to wince at the strength Sango had put into that blow.

For a woman in her second trimester, Sango was still a force to be reckoned with and nobody knew that better then her husband. Being pregnant did little to alter or deter Sango's defined physique and abilities that she developed and maintained as the Head Officer of the youkai and civilian enforcement SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) team.

It wasn't long before Kagome could hear Sango speaking again. She was either slightly panting from her earlier exertion or because she was just fuming at her husband for a body part that he had just caressed, but whichever the reason, Kagome couldn't tell.

"Gomen ne, Kagome-chan. I couldn't prevent him from buying whatever he bought for Inu Yasha."

"That's alright Sango-chan, I still really appreciate the gesture even if Inu Yasha doesn't."

Miroku, who had regain consciousness, participated in the conversation as though nothing had occurred. "But Sango, my dear, in your delicate condition you shouldn't trouble yourself. I got them perfectly tasteful gifts and as I told Kagome-sama, the presents are anime related."

"Hmph! Houshi-sama, I trust your preference in buying gifts as far as I can throw you." Sango retorted, which sparked another round of arguments.

And as Kagome listened to her friends' bickering, she couldn't help but giggle at their antics. Some things really don't change, even after marriage.

Clearing her throat, Kagome stopped their verbal fight, "Ahem, it was great talking to you both but I really have to go. My arm is numb and the bento boxes are getting cold."

Sheepishly, Sango replied, "Sorry about that. It was nice talking to you too. We should all get together next week for dinner okay? Give me a call when you're both free Kagome-chan. I'll let you go now. Heaven knows how testy Inu Yasha gets when he's hungry. Ja Ne."

"Ja, Sango-chan. Say bye and arigato to Miroku for me."

Once Kagome put away her cell phone, she headed straight for the secretary's desk to momentarily unload her packages and speak with Inu Yasha's secretary, Alexia.

Out of Inu Yasha's entire group of former secretaries, Alexia was the only one that survived the job more than a year without threatening to sue or to mutilate the hanyou. Following the five secretaries that Inu Yasha had went through in a span of half a month, Kagome had taken matters into her own hands and specifically selected Alexia for her high tolerance level and intense façade, which were naturally a part of her youkai heritage as an alligator.

Alexia was the perfect secretary for the inu hanyou because she was extremely organized, always serious about what she said or did, and she could handle his mood swings without a blind of her neon yellow eyes. Her tough exterior of speckled black scales and spikes ensured that she was physically fit and prepared for anything that Inu Yasha threw in her direction – be it insults, gruelling tasks, or manual labour. Yes, Kagome liked the middle- aged youkai very much.

"Ahhh, kimochi!" She happily cried when she was free of her burdens.

Seeing the young miko's actions, Alexia greeted her employer and smiled, showing her pointed teeth. "Konnichiwa, Kagome-sama. I wasn't expecting to see you today, what's the occasion?"

"Hi, Alexia-chan. It's Inu Yasha's birthday so I'm surprising him with lunch. I'm going to need you to do me a small favour though." Kagome quietly requested so that her mate wouldn't be alerted to her presence.

"Sure thing, what can I help you with?" The reptile answered without faltering in the typing that she was doing.

"I need you to push back all of his afternoon appointment until after two o'clock. He doesn't have anything major scheduled for today, does he?"

"Hmm, he just has a meeting with Sesshoumaru-sama at one-thirty, but that's about it. I already tried to reschedule it, but I got nowhere talking to Sesshoumaru-sama's toad of an assistant, Jaken"

"Eeh, a meeting with Sesshoumaru? That's not good at all and the situation won't get any better considering that Sesshoumaru doesn't like to be kept waiting." Kagome had to take a few minutes to think about this new piece of information that would affect her plans.

'Inu Yasha must not be a happy koinu about this.' She grimaced as she heard a loud crack from within his office. "Ano, Alexia-chan? How many times did he try to fire you this morning?" Kagome asked.

"In a period of three and a half hours, Takainuhiko-sama has threatened four times and I'm sure he'll try a few more times by the end of the day." The alligator youkai replied casually having become accustomed to his hollow threats. Besides, both she and Inu Yasha knew that the only person who could actually fire her was Kagome herself.

'Sou ja, Inu Yasha definitely isn't in a pleasant mood today. Well, let's see if I can't fix that!' At the sound of Inu Yasha's growl and Myouga's wail, Kagome's mind was made up.

"Tell you what Alexia-chan, if you can stall Sesshoumaru until two o'clock, I'll give you a ten percent raise and an extra week of vacation. Consider it casualty paid, plus you've earned it!"

"Oh you don't need to do that, Kagome-sama. If you can just get Takainuhiko-sama to stop demolishing his phones or shattering the doors, I'll gladly do it." Alexia joked to her boss; she really did like her miko employer and would gladly help her out if it meant she didn't have to contact the repair shop again.

"You've got yourself a deal!" Kagome freely laughed and was interrupted yet again by another one of Myouga's scream for help. "Well, that's my clue to save the flea. Arigato, Alexia-chan! You should leave early today; it's a Friday after all so enjoy the week-end." Kagome said as she picked up the bento boxes and drinks and entered Inu Yasha's office.

The sight that met her was a comical one: Inu Yasha's fingers tangled in a piece of string that was attached to Myouga while Myouga was hurriedly leeching his lunch from Inu Yasha's right hand.

"I'm not disturbing anything here, am I?" Kagome greeted from the door as she tried to control her amusement.

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TBC...

That's all for this week, stay tuned for the next chapter when you find out what Toutousai made for Inu Yasha. There'll also be some citrus flavouring as well! My apologies for any spelling mistakes. R&R, onegai!!! Ja Ne.


	4. Lunchtime Delights

**Disclaimer:** As expected I wish I did, but I definitely don't own anything relating to the Inu Yasha fandom and anime.

**Translator 101 (Just in Case):**

Sonna – No Way

Tasukete – Help

Kuso – Damnit/shit

Shio Ramen: Type of ramen that has a transparent, salt based broth.

Wonton – Chinese dumplings often used as a feature topping in ramen

Tempura –seafood, vegetables, or mushrooms coated with tempura batter and deep fried

Nigirizushi - Small rice balls with fish and other vegetable toppings

Norimaki sushi – Tradition type of sushi consisting of sushi rice with other ingredients rolled in dried seaweed sheets

Onigiri – rice balls made of cooked rice, usually wrapped with seaweed, is slightly salted and often contains some additional food in the center (i.e. Seafood or pickled vegetables)

Yakitori – marinated grilled chicken pieces on skewers

Agedashi Tofu – deep fried tofu pieces dipped into a soya-based sauce before being eaten

Hamubagu – a Japanese style hamburger without the bread

Domburi – A bowl of cooked rice with other food (i.e. chicken, egg, beef, etc) put on top

Gyoza – are fried dumplings with minced vegetables and ground meat filling

Itadakimasu – a phrase said before you start eating, means "I gratefully receive"

Sou da – That's right

Kyaa – Ahhh, a sound made when one is surprised or scared

Doshite – Why

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**Blow Out the Candles**

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**Chapter 4: Lunchtime Delights**

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It took all of a minute until Inu Yasha actually believed that the heavenly vision standing before his very eyes was not an illusion, an extremely tempting figment of his imagination concocted in his current state of mental strain. Taking a quick glance at the equally silent flea still dangling on the string entangled between his fingers, Inu Yasha allowed his eyes to gaze back upon the beautiful figure standing by the doorframe of his office.

In order make certain that the Kagome he was seeing was actually a corporeal entity, he did a swift once over with his senses. A small intake of air filled his nostrils with the subtle fragrance of floral nectar, morning mist, and an intangible scent of something wholly feminine and Kagome diffused into the room alongside the various aromas of warm food. His youki aura was tickled as it excitedly extended towards her welcoming presence while his blood quickly surged throughout his body when her smile widened. The quick rotation of his snow white ears caught the harmonious sound of her mirth, which she no longer suppressed and released in tiny fits of giggles. Finally, upon locking eyes with his beloved and feeling the mystic symbol entrenched on his chest give another strong throb, all Inu Yasha's previous doubts were dispelled.

'I KNEW I wasn't hallucinating when I felt her mark pulsate a couple of minutes ago! How long was she been in this stinking building and I didn't know?' He slated himself before once again feeling the familiar sensation of the mating mark intensifying on his left pectoral muscle.

By the way Kagome's giggles abruptly ceased, she too was entranced when their eyes met.

Yet, neither made the slightest sound nor indication of movement. They simple stayed rooted in their position, transfixed by each other.

Inu Yasha sat statuesque still in his chair and drank in every curvature and facial feature of his mate from her large doe eyes, her dark lengthy lashes, and her adorable nose to her lustrous cherry lips like a dehydrated man would guzzle his first drop of nourishing water.

Similarly, Kagome feasted on the somewhat ruffle appearance, but nonetheless attractive traits of her fiancée. Feeling weak in the knees from the smouldering gleam reflecting in the charcoal pools of his eyes and the escalating hum of his mark over her bosom, Kagome utilized the support provided by the doorframe.

Random strands of silver hair escaped the low ponytail binding his normally unkempt mane, fanning his defined chin and strong cheekbones, while his silk, maroon tie hung loosely under the collar of his white pinstriped Oxford shirt.

She internally struggled against the urge to run her fingers through the fine tresses or let the tips of her nails run across his exposed flesh revealed by the top two buttons being undone. Instead, she opted to tighten her grip on the numerous bento boxes she held and swallowed what moisture was left in her parched mouth as a means to occupy her wayward thoughts.

Though Kagome's action was ever so slight, it did not go unnoticed by her observant mate. Despite the fact that Inu Yasha was often times tactless and had a knack for disregarding Kagome's emotional sensitivity, he knew how to interpret every physical movement, shift, or reaction that her body underwent. And at the moment, he knew what and who exactly was on her mind. In response he flashed her a smug and arrogant grin, displaying a pearly white canine fang in the process.

Seeing the pointed tooth and instantly recalling the feel of it running along the slopes of her breast before gently scrapping over her left nub not a few hours prior sent a tinge of colour to her cheeks. Although their morning activities had been disturbed by Miroku's pointless phone call, Inu Yasha did not immediately stop his ministrations then. On the contrary, he had her panting and crying out for him before abruptly stopping and indifferently moving about to prepare for work.

'That's right! He left me hanging this morning when I said he had to go to work. I think I should make him squirm a little for that stunt.' Kagome mentally smiled to herself as she began to plan the details of her retaliation. Just as she was about to say something to her hanyou, a loud smack broke the silence, the sound ricocheting off the walls.

At the opposite side of the room, Inu Yasha now stood glaring menacingly down at the once again flattened flea. Judging by the three to four inch increase in his size, Myouga had been enjoying another quick lunch – courtesy of the artery on his employer's wrist.

"Myouga-jijii! I ain't a free buffet for you to fucking dine on!" Inu Yasha shouted to the flea, who was still momentarily dazed.

After motioning for Kagome to step away from the doorway with his free hand, Inu Yasha hastily removed the tangled string from his fingers and untied the knot on his jacket button.

"You better thank your lucky stars that Kagome is here 'cause I would've handicapped you for the next month!" Having been brought up to eye level with Inu Yasha, Myouga could see that his master was dead serious. "I'm no where near finished with you yet," Inu Yasha tersely spoke to the flea, "Since you happily agreed to this conference, you'll be happy to partake in it as well."

"B-but, Inu Yasha-sama, surely you don't need me there!" Myouga begged, distraughtly trying to think of any excuse that would extricate him from joining the brothers in their meeting. "I would only get in the way and there are so many other matters that I'm sure you would want me to attend to like–"

"Forget it!" Inu Yasha interjected before Myouga could start. "Or perhaps you would prefer I call Shyuga-babaa, huh?!"

"Sonna! Tasukete Kagome-sama, tasukete!!!" The flea cried, turning pleading eyes to one of the very few people who could persuade the temperamental inu youkai.

"Keh! She's already saved your ass once today. Don't go pushing your luck," replied Inu Yasha as he walked around his desk to stand in front of it. Looking through the open door, he yelled to his secretary, "Alexia, get your scaly butt in here!"

He didn't have to wait long before the alligator youkai was within sight.

"Is there something I can do for you Takainuhiko-sama?"

"Yeah, keep Myouga close by. I want him present for my _conference_ with Sesshoumaru, so DON'T let him get away!" Inu Yasha then promptly flung the flea towards his secretary, whom caught him by the binding thread with ease.

"No problem, Sir." Alexia replied before closing the door and walking back to her desk. When she was comfortably seated, the reptilian proceeded to securely tie the flea executive to her coffee mug to keep him near.

During the process, Myouga had attempted to bite her numerous times as a means to startle her into releasing him. Unfortunately, Alexia was the ideal babysitter for the flea. Her thick exterior was difficult to penetrate and doing so only granted Myouga with a mouthful of her cold blood – a bitter taste he could scarcely stomach.

Following his fifth failed attempt to getaway, Myouga finally slumped onto the desk surface beside the half full mug. Alexia actually took pity on the old flea then by offering to get him something to drink when she saw him pull out a handkerchief to wipe his damp brow.

As Alexia went passed Inu Yasha's iron-plated doors, which were now bolted shut and temporarily sealed by Kagome's holy powers, on her way to retrieve some caffeine-free tea from the executive lunch room, she could only hypothesize what the company president and his mate were doing within the room.

Her guesses weren't too far fetched either.

Slightly leaning against the front of his desk stood a smirking hanyou with his bride to be standing to his left near the leather sofas in his office, her arms carrying delicious takeout items he couldn't wait to sink his teeth into. His mouth, however, only began to water at the sight of Kagome innocently bending over to place their lunch and drinks she held onto the marble coffee table. When she had turned to face him again, Inu Yasha motioned for her to approach him with a clawed index digit.

Of course Kagome happily obliged with a bright smile on her face and a seductive swagger to her steps. Inu Yasha was none the wiser as she leisurely leaned in to give him a kiss on the lips, a kiss he thought would permanently imprint the taste of her on his lips and taste buds for the rest of the day.

Hence, Inu Yasha was sorely disappointed when their lips were only millimetres apart and she unpredictably tilted her head to the right to give him a light and fleeting peck on the cheek. She even had the nerve to casually step away from him after the incident as if what she did was not deemed a deadly sin – at least in his opinion anyways.

Inu Yasha stood silently fuming at her actions, especially when she cheerily called him to join her for lunch.

"Yasha, aren't you going to join me on the couch?" Kagome asked as she coyly patted the seat next to her. "I ordered all your favourite meals," she tempted in a sultry voice.

Rather than dignifying her with a response, the inu hanyou merely scowled at his mate. When she did nothing other than politely grin at him, Inu Yasha decided to no longer remain mute.

"Oi, wench! What the hell kind of kiss was that?!" He growled and crossed his arms across his chest in a sulking manner.

Fluttering her curly lashes, Kagome asked in an overtly naive tone, "What are you talking about Inu Yasha?" To emphasize her point, she brought her index finger to her chin and tapped gently in a contemplative manner, "I bet you're becoming delusional because you're hungry and stressed. Oh my poor mate! Koi, come over here and have lunch before your ramen gets cold and starchy."

Seeing the flicker of indecision in his eyes, for a spit second Kagome thought Inu Yasha was about to cave. She knew better than anyone else that his stomach was desperately urging him to devour the delicious noodles while his pride and ego demanded that he not succumb to her no matter what the cost.

'Kuso! I probably deserve this for what I did to her in morning, but there's NO WAY I'm gonna retreat from HER challenge!'

Congested or claustrophobic areas, or more importantly dead-end situations similar to his current position, never did bode well with the rash inu hanyou. The animalistic instinct in him despised being cornered or caged, and thus often resulted in him acting recklessly or lashing out violently. And due to his present frustration and indecisiveness, like so many times before, Inu Yasha blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.

"Bitch, run your fucking ass over here and greet your mate properly, or else!" The hanyou ordered before he realized what exactly he said and how he said it.

'Ah hell! I just shoved both my feet into my mouth,' the hanyou mentally cursed his stupidity. By the way that Kagome's smile gradually dissipated, her lips pursing together and her eyebrows lowering darkly, Inu Yasha knew he hit the nail on the head with his assumptions.

"Hmm, I see," was Kagome's only retort as she stared furiously at him.

Thinking fast in order to rectify his grave mistake, Inu Yasha tried his best to apologize without actually saying the words or looking like he was forced to surrender. He could only thank kami and whatever other divine being out there for the fact that the kotodama rosary he wore around his neck no longer possessed a subduing spell. Had it still granted Kagome the power to render him kissing dirt with an utterance of a single word, Inu Yasha was positive he would have crashed through at least three floors by now for his little comment.

"Uhh…C'mon koi, you know that's not what I meant," Inu Yasha cautiously began, "I've had a crap-filled day and the ONLY good thing about it is seeing YOU. Now I want a real hello kiss from my mate and I'm not moving a muscle until I get it." For good measure Inu Yasha also threw in a barely audible please, gruffly and awkwardly spoken under his breath.

Kagome, for her part, took a long look at Inu Yasha before she gave any indication of forgiving him. Having taken into account her stubborn mate's somewhat slouched posture, wilted ears, and downcast eyes, she knew he didn't mean what he said and truly did regret saying it. Kagome even guiltily thought that perhaps she was a bit harsh in her revenge, especially when she knew he was suffering from a horrible day and on his birthday nonetheless.

A compromise was the sole solution to their standstill, so with a long sigh Kagome stood and walk towards her fiancée.

She was apparently moving too slow for Inu Yasha's preference because in the next instance he took a large step forward, seized her by the waist with one hand and by her wrist by the other and locked his lips upon hers. Without any hesitation, Inu Yasha showed Kagome just how remorseful he was and how much he longed for her all morning.

While he greedily ravaged her sweet lips, enticing her mouth to part for his questing tongue, Inu Yasha slithered the hand draped around her waist to the small of her back, and with a firm push of his palm he was holding her snugly against his hard body. His other hand, having long released her wrist, slid to and fro along the bare skin of her upper arm, shoulder blades, and nape of her neck to ultimately deepen their embrace.

For Kagome, the light scrapping of Inu Yasha's pointed finger nails on her skin was absolutely maddening, causing the tiny sensory hairs on her arms to stand on end and sending a shudder shooting down her spine.

When Inu Yasha swirled the tip of his tongue in figure-eight patterns on the roof of her mouth, Kagome couldn't suppress the small pleading whimper or airy moan that sprung from her throat. His deep-chested growls exuded vibrations into her very marrow in every place their bodies touched and Kagome vaguely wondered if her knees would buckle under her weight. In fear of breaking their passionate kiss as a result of her inability to stand, she held onto Inu Yasha all the more desperately.

Inu Yasha, having felt and sensed Kagome's worry when she gripped onto him earnestly, reassured his mate that he would never let her fall by firmly cradling her posterior. It was all the encouragement Kagome needed because she loosened her hold on him and in appreciation she suckled on his bottom lip before mingling with Inu Yasha's own probing tongue.

'Kami, she tastes good! No wait, she tastes way better than just good.' Inu Yasha absent-mindedly thought as he desperately tried to savour and memorize every emotion, feel, smell and flavour of the woman in his arms.

No matter how much he caressed, embraced, nuzzled, or explored the uniqueness and delights of her body and mind, Inu Yasha could never remotely get his fill of her. She was more addictive than any drug; such substances were artificial and only effective for a short amount of time, where as Kagome was substantial, whole, purely natural, and possessed an infinite wealth of love.

To think, he, Takainuhiko Inu Yasha, second son of the almighty Inutaisho of the Governing Western Territories, third wealthiest male in the entire Asian hemisphere, and voted one of the most interesting person/hanyou/youkai alive by the media for four years running, had been hesitant to admit his true feelings for the girl he loved.

Seconds, minutes, hours, days, and even months had been wasted after he first realized his affections for Kagome. Nevertheless, being the guarded fool that he was, Inu Yasha hid his love for her instead of gathering her into his arms to show her precisely how much she meant to him.

Thinking back on his past insecurities and reservations, Inu Yasha now realized how ridiculous he acted. He should have undoubtedly known that Kagome would never reject or ridicule him as countless others did; she had always stayed at his side and offered him unconditional love, even when he tried to push her away or wasn't worthy of her kindness.

The past, however, remained as the past and rather than dwelling on it, Inu Yasha was determined to make up for every second they had lost together and seize every possible moment he got to spend with Kagome. More importantly, he planned on putting their time with each other to good use – much like he was doing now.

Finally, when the inhalation of air and exhalation of carbon dioxide became essential, the couple parted from their heated kiss. Though they only separated enough so that their lips where no more than centimetres apart and their noses were still rubbing against each other. Both were panting heavily and it was a few minutes before either spoke.

It took Kagome two attempts to swallow before the lust coloured haze left her mind and she had her breathing under control. Yet, even when she spoke – what few coherent words she could utter, that is – her voice was barely above a murmur.

"Better?" She questioned light-heartedly.

Smiling for the first time since he arrived to work, Inu Yasha chuckled, "Fuck yeah! That's what I call an appropriate hello kiss from my mate."

He was about to say more when his stomach choose that instant to make itself known with a large rumble.

"C'mon, I guess it really is time to eat now," the sheepishly grinning hanyou said as he pulled his snickering mate onto the seat next to him on the plush couch. "Besides, my ramen always did taste better when I've had a hardy taste of you with it." Inu Yasha stated to cover up is tinted cheeks.

The couple then proceeded to arrange and divide the plentiful amount of food Kagome had bought, which would normally be enough to feed six grown men. As soon as Inu Yasha had a pair of chopsticks in his hand, he went straight for the extra, extra large, wonton laden, shio flavoured ramen.

Disregarding the use of other dining utensils such as a napkin, a soup bowl, or a plate, Inu Yasha merrily slurped the rice flour noodles from its plastic container, spraying droplets of broth here and there. Between mouthfuls of ramen, Inu Yasha sampled the other various dishes and appetizers scattered on the low table consisting of deep-fried morsels, a mixed garden of steamed and sauté vegetables, a cornucopia of seafood platters, and enough meat cutlets to please any carnivore.

"Itadakimasu!" Chirped Kagome before she began the meal. Having far better dining etiquette, she properly served herself a decent helping of domburi, steamed vegetables, sushi, and shrimp tempura on a plate instead of eating them straight from the takeout boxes like a certain demon.

Inu Yasha on the other hand could care less about table manners when he was starving. He just couldn't understand why people wasted their time and energy fussing over useless things like the proper way to hold a pair of chopsticks, the proper way of swallowing food first before speaking, the proper way to chew food discretely, and the list went on. So long as the food ended up in his mouth and he didn't choke on it, then nothing else really mattered.

Seeing as to how Kagome didn't bother lecturing him about his eating habits today, Inu Yasha continued to devour whatever he could get his hands or chopsticks on. The nigiri-zushi, norimaki sushi, and gyoza were popped into his half filled mouth as if they were simple snacks. The tuna-stuffed onigiri, agedashi tofu squares, and hamubagu were eaten in a single bite each and shortly swallowed afterwards while the yakitoris were licked clean down to the skewers.

A comfortable silence, aside from the sounds of Inu Yasha's chomping or the wooden clicking of chopsticks, filled the room and settled between the preoccupied inhabitants. Every now and then Kagome would look up from her meal, which she played and shuffled with more so than actually ate, to watch and cheerfully smile at her fiancée. Typically, Kagome would be astounded by the rate in which Inu Yasha consumed his food, but even he wasn't eating fast enough for her today.

The bubbling excitement and anticipation that she had felt all morning only seemed to intensify as the day wore on and now with only minutes to wait before she gave Inu Yasha one of his major gifts, her childish enthusiasm returned to her tenfold. One would think she was the person receiving the gift and not vice versa. She just couldn't help her eagerness though.

All day she had been imagining what his reaction to her present would be. She wondered if he would be rendered speechless or whether he would shout his heart's content. She wondered if he race down all forty-three flights of stairs to touch his refurbished treasure or whether he could stare at it in awe for fear of damaging it. Most of all, she wondered what look of surprise would strike his features and wash away all the signs of restlessness that marred his face due to a hard day at work.

And she would have continued with her wondering had it not been for the hand waving in front of her eyes.

"Earth to Kagome." Inu Yasha asked setting down his empty container of ramen and licking each of his fingers clean of any lingering sauce or crumbs. "Are you somewhere in that mess you keep calling your mind?" He playfully joked while gently tapping his finger on her temple once the pensive look left her eyes.

"Oh… Gomen ne, Inu Yasha. I just got a little carried away." She flushed with embarrassment and tried to find something to change the topic. Looking around, she noticed that most of the food, if not all, had been eaten…

'Hey, if he's done eating then I can give him his gift now!' She suddenly squealed then, the high pitched sound stinging Inu Yasha's ears.

"Oi, wench! What the heck as gotten into you?!" The hanyou protested while flattening his ears against his skull to drown out the noise. He was midway gulping down his lychee fruit-flavoured bubble tea when she startled him, nearly causing him to choke on the tapioca pearls and jack fruit pieces in the sweet drink.

Of course Kagome was too thrilled about giving him his surprise to take notice. "Ah, sou da! Inu Yasha, get up, get up!"

"Na-nani? Doshite?" The partially coughing hanyou asked. Some of his drink had gone down the wrong tube, entering the wind pipe instead of the esophagus and making it difficult for him to inhale let alone speak. With one final cough, Inu Yasha cleared his air ways and could easily breathe again.

"Come on! I'll give you something good!" She enthusiastically said while tugging at his arm to get him to stand.

"You're such a bother." He complained with mock annoyance in his eyes.

"Onegai, come on," Kagome requested as she clasp her hands together in a beseeching manner. "Just close your eyes for a second." It was then that she gave him _the look,_ the look that never failed to liquefy his resolution and sway his decisions.

"Keh," was his only response before he did as he was told and closed his eyes.

Inu Yasha allowed Kagome to lead him around the couches before they shortly stopped at the balcony doors of his corner office. At this point Kagome temporarily released his had to retrieve something from her purse. Twitching his ears, Inu Yasha heard the plexiglass doors sliding open. Moments later he was pulled out into the open air where a cool breeze ruffled his bangs and he felt the high noon sun on his shin.

"Can I open my eyes yet, Kagome?" Inu Yasha impatiently whined.

"No! Not yet!" She practically yelled when she thought he was going to open his eyes. "Wait a minute, it's almost ready." Just to be safe, Kagome covered his shut eyes with her hand right hand to prevent him from peeking.

She then began to navigate him around the lush plants, decorative shrubbery, and small steel patio set on the balcony patio. She was grateful towards the architects whom had designed the building because the outdoor terrace enabled her to show Inu Yasha his present without having to lead him all the way out of the building.

His office was only one of two rooms that boasted a private balcony, a bathroom complete with a shower, a walk-in closet, and mini-bar in the entire building. Of course Inu Yasha rarely took notice of the aforementioned perks, how could he when he was always piled high with work to do. Thus, this was a special occasion in deed.

By now he was extremely anxious to see what Kagome had gotten him for his birthday. Being in such close proximity to her, Inu Yasha could clearly feel the thudding beat of her heart through her hand on his eyes and smell her excitement and nervousness. Whatever she had planned, he knew it was something huge if she went to all this trouble to surprise him.

Acting as his typical self of wanting to speed things along and have a little fun with Kagome, Inu Yasha quickly swiped his inherently long tongue along the under ridge of her hand still covering his eyes.

"Kyaa!!" Kagome squeaked and automatically withdrew her right hand as if she had been burnt. "Inu Yasha, that wasn't funny!" She scolded the laughing hanyou.

"Are you done yet?" He managed to say between laughs. Feeling the light punch on his arm, Inu Yasha got himself back under control. When he straightened, he felt Kagome slip her hands into his prior to her leaning forward and sweetly kissing him on the lips.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now, Inu Yasha."

"'Bout time!"

Blinking quickly to allow his pupils to adjust to the light, Inu Yasha took in his surrounding. It had been a few months since the last time he was out on the balcony and he noticed that many of the flowers were beginning to bloom, concealing the smoke-filled Tokyo air with their pleasant fragrance. Though other than the flowers, he didn't see anything else out of the ordinary. Not quite understanding why Kagome insisted he kept his eyes closed, he turned to her with a questioning look.

In reply, Kagome's smile widened and she withdrew her hands, taking a step away from him. Inu Yasha wasn't sure what she was doing until his mind registered that he was holding an object within his folded fingers. Tensing with interest and exhilaration, he compelled his fingers to slowly uncurl.

When his hand fully opened to reveal the item, Inu Yasha's breath caught in his throat despite his gaping mouth and his hands trembled at the sight of it.

'It can't be… can it?' His mind clumsily tripped over itself trying to process everything that was happening to him. Needing some form of reassurance, he forced his eyes away from the object lying on his palm to look at his beaming mate.

As if she could read his very thoughts, Kagome vigorously nodded her head in assurance to answer his silent question. Slowly leaning over the balcony railing, she pointed at something directing down below. To her eyes the object beneath was no more than a red blurb from the forty-third floor, but she knew that Inu Yasha could see the major details of her gift with his enhanced youkai eyes.

Following the direction of Kagome's finger, Inu Yasha peered over the railing and his eyes widened at the sight he saw.

"H-h-how," was the only word that could bypass the boulder lodged in the passageway of his throat and cross the desert that his tongue had become.

All he could do was stare in awe and disbelief at the innocent silver key resting on his hand to the parked car that resembled his once cherished classic Porsche 550 Spyder. The car he had spent nearly a year restoring with his own two hands, that he himself had paid every cent for with an honest day's work. The car that held so many memories for him and Kagome before the horrific accident occurred. Never did he expect to see _that_ car again, yet here he was with the car's original key in his hand.

He was snapped out of his dazed state when Kagome began speaking.

"Well, after the accident and you thought that the car was beyond repair, I immediately called Toutousai-jiichan to salvage anything and everything that he could from your car before it was spent to the junk yard." There was a silent pause while Kagome shivered in remembrance of the ghastly ordeal. When she spoke again, her tone was somewhat downcast, "It was all my fault and – "

"Don't you dare, Kagome!" Inu Yasha abruptly ordered and pulled her into his shielding arms.

"But... "

"I said don't, Kagome. The crash wasn't your fault, so just don't start! Got it?!"

Nodding in compliance, Kagome took comfort in Inu Yasha's warmth, delighting in the feel of him nuzzling her temple and neck.

"I'm still sorry it happened… I knew what the car meant to you, so in the six months following the accident I secretly searched for the auto parts that needed to be replaced."

Taking a deep breath Kagome continued, "Since we couldn't fix the car's original frame, Toutousai-jiichan called in a few favours and helped me remodel the new Porsche Boxster S 50th anniversary model."

"Ka-go-me..." He could only whisper her name and hold her tightly, realizing how much work and effort she had invested in his present.

"I was planning on giving it to you as a wedding present, but I couldn't want until then. Um… Do you like it, Inu Yasha?"

Mentally chuckling at her question, Inu Yasha found it highly amusing and surprisingly endearing how her insecurities about pleasing him still occasionally surfaced. He was grateful for fact that Kagome never lost the air of childish innocence about her or the sparkle of light in her expressive eyes even after all the tragedies and hardships they underwent to be together.

"Do you even have to ask me that?!" He acclaimed. 'Kami, I really don't deserve you!'

Wanting to hear her jovial laughter rather than a reply, Inu Yasha swiftly picked her up bridle style and spun her around until she begged him to stop. Having no desire to release Kagome anytime soon, Inu Yasha carried her back into his office and took a seat on his leather business with her in his lap.

He gave her a minute at most to catch her breathe before he pounced on her with eager lips, focusing exclusively on their kiss as a means to convey all the love and adoration he felt for her. Heaven only knew that he was not a hanyou of many words.

It didn't take long before the kiss was not enough to quench the couple's raging desires. With the scent of arousal was thick in the air, adding fuel to the rampant fire that was Inu Yasha's need to completely feel his mate, his handle on rationality was dwindling faster than sand in an hourglass.

The fact that it was broad daylight and the only thing preserving their privacy was a door hardly crossed Inu Yasha's distracted mind; he was far too busy worshiping Kagome's neck and inching his hands up underneath her dress to care about anything else. Before he could go any further though, Kagome halted his actions, pushing gently on his shoulders.

By all means, she was readily willing to finish what they had begun, but she was not quite so far lost in the lustful maze of their primal needs to overlook the situation at hand. A random glance at the clock on the mantel above the digital fireplace screen saver of the plasma TV revealed that it was nearly five minutes before two o'clock. Knowing Sesshoumaru as well as she did, he was NEVER one to be kept waiting. It was nothing short of a miracle that Alexia had been able to detain him for this long already.

"In-Inu Yasha, stop..." Kagome gasped, wanting to disregard her own words, but knowing that they couldn't continue. "We can't do this now… O-or here."

A grunt of disapproval was all he did, never straying from his pleasurable task.

Seeing that he wasn't going to speak any time soon, Kagome continued, "You have a meeting with Sesshoumaru… Mmmm… and Alexia-chan has been stalling him for thirty minutes already."

Between nips and licks, Inu Yasha finally mumbled a reply against her ear, "Screw Sesshoumaru… He's just here to annoy the shit out of me!" His next nip was a little harder than its predecessors, making him proudly smirk when Kagome inhaled sharply. "Anyways, my hands are full as it is." He emphasized with a playful squeeze.

"Inu Yasha no henati!" Kagome hissed, turning an interesting shade of red due to his comment and actions.

"Hey, only for you," he assured and then resumed worshiping her neck.

Although the feelings he evoked within her were simply blissful, Kagome held true to her decision and in another attempt tried to coax Inu Yasha to stop. "Onegai, Inu Yasha, we're going to be interrupted one way or another"

As if on clue, Inu Yasha's phone began to ring.

"See," Kagome insisted and sighed disappointedly as the phone continued to buzz.

After a very apparent grumble and huff, Inu Yasha allowed Kagome to partially slide out of his lap to press the phone's intercom button. The raspy voice of his secretary soon sounded through the speaker phone.

"Sorry to disturb you Takainuhiko-sama. Your brother is waiting for you and refuses to wait any longer."

Inu Yasha couldn't stop the growling that sprang forth at the mention of his half-brother. It took a gentle caress on his cheek from Kagome to tame his riled instincts before he managed to brusquely retort, knowing fully well that Sesshoumaru could hear what was being spoken.

"Fine, send _her highness_ in," Inu Yasha sneered into the intercom, "And don't forget to bring Myouga in as well," he added in last minute. He couldn't help the sadistic smile that appeared at the distinct sound of Myouga's wailing. 'Serves you right, this whole mess is your entire fault to begin with!'

Releasing the button, Inu Yasha then turned to his mate. He grudgingly helped her straighten and walked her to the door where she shocked him with a brief, but nevertheless fiery farewell kiss.

"Don't look so gloomy, Inu Yasha." Kagome cajoled while leaning up on her toes to reach his velvety ears and gave them a good rub. "It's a Friday so you'll have me to yourself ALL night and week-end."

"Feh, like that's enough." He remarked distractedly due to the ear massage.

"Just remember: NO bloodshed when you see Sesshoumaru. We've had to remodel this office far too many times before and I don't want Alexia-chan dealing with it on Monday morning. Promise me, Inu Yasha. "

"Whatever, the asshole always starts it!" Inu Yasha shouted childishly as he watched her peal away the sacred seals on the doors that ensured they would not be bothered during their lunch.

Kagome opened one of the double doors and began to exit when she turned her head around and smiled charmingly at her fiancée. "Besides," Kagome threw over her shoulder, "if you get hurt, you won't be able to _fully_ enjoy your other presents."

A splash of red coloured her cheeks and her words were spoken barely above a whisper for his ears alone, "And believe me when I say that your other presents entail a more hands-on approach." That said, Kagome winked at her salivating mate and strolled out into the foyer.

Watching Kagome leave, the only thoughts racing around in his mind were: Don't kill Sesshoumaru until Monday and get home FAST this evening!

TBC…

**AN:** If anyone is interested, I've posted some decent IY pictures at MediaMiner. Just click on the links in my bio page and let me know what you think about my artwork. In the near future, I'm planning on adding some illustrations to accompany this fic so let me know what scenes you would like to see. I'm also providing a link to the website were I got info on all the Japanese cuisines I used in my story; this site has great pictures and recipes. The link is: http:www. japan-guide. com/r/e1. html(remove spaces).

In the next chapter to come: Inu Yasha's brotherly meeting and Miroku b-day present. Let the calamity begin.

On a different note, my sincerest THANKS for all the reviews and to all the reviewers who wrote them, they're a pleasure to read. Keep Reading and Reviewing, onegai!!! Ja!!!


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